When sporting franchises attempt to jump codes

Can you imagine a sporting world where Rugby League supremo Phil Gould would be leading an A-League football club? Or how about Venus and Serena Williams turning their hometown NFL franchise into a mega Tennis club? If you answered yes to both questions, then you are not living in dreamland but you are firmly placed in reality.

These are just the many attempts (some successful) where sporting franchises attempted to dabble their money in other sporting codes. Here at Inside Sport, we thought we would bring you the top 4 list of these wacky sporting ventures.

1. Collingwood Magpies, GWS Giants and Melbourne Storm Netball adventures
In May of 2016, Netball Australia announced that they would cease operations of the Trans-Tasman ANZ Championship and establish a new National Netball League to begin in 2017. The five current sides in the ANZ Championship - the NSW Swifts, Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds, West Coast Fever and Queensland Firebirds will join three new teams for an eight team competition. Interestingly the three new franchises will be bankrolled by existing football clubs. The GWS Giants in partnership with Netball NSW will establish a team for Sydney's West, the Melbourne Storm are funding a side to be played out of the Sunshine Coast and Eddie McGuire and his team will run the star-studded Collingwood Magpies and with the squad McGuire has put together featuring five Aussie Diamonds, at least Collingwood fans might have something to cheer about.

2. Real Madrid v Barcelona - the Indoor El-Classico
Whilst it may seem odd that Collingwood, GWS and the Storm would venture into the unknown and somewhat risky territory of Netball, this is nothing new in the European sporting market. Footballing giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have both operated Basketball franchises since the early 1930's. Both are not only footballing powerhouses but also Basketball royalty, with the Madrid based side winning the national championship 33 times and the EuroLeague (UEFA Champions League equivalent) a record nine times. Barcelona have won a cool 18 Spanish titles themselves proving if managed correctly no matter what the sport franchises can co-exist.

The Basketball El-Classico. (Photo by Getty Images)

3. The "Penrith Wanderers?"
No that is not a mistake, there was a time during 2013 when the Penrith Panthers attempted to buy the Western Sydney Wanderers. In a secret eleventh hour bid, Phil Gould and his Panthers team attempted to prize the Wanderers away from their 'original' home in Parramatta and set up base in Penrith. However, the bid was quickly shut down by A-League boss David Gallop and the Wanderers were eventually sold to Paul Lederer and his Primo Smallgoods Group. Had the Panthers been successful in their bid, it wouldn't have been the first time the NRL infiltrated football in Australia. Nathan Tinkler once owned both the Knights and Jets whilst back in the NSL the Parramatta Eels once owned the Parramatta Power ... but we all remember how those ventures turned out.

This could of been a familiar scene if things went differently. (Photo by Getty Images)

4. The Williams sisters own the Dolphins
In 2009, tennis megastars Venus and Serena Williams created history becoming the first female African-Americans to own a share in a NFL franchise. The sisters became minority owners of their hometown team the Miami Dolphins. Whilst the grand slam winning duo have not focused too much of their time on the Miami based side since buying into the franchise, Serena has hinted in many interviews that her post-tennis career will focus heavily on the Dolphins and the running’s of the club. And we may even see the Miami Dolphins tennis academy established one day.

The Williams sisters creating history on and off the court (Photo by Getty Images)